Geez, I just said it was a downside to NRP, and I think anyone has to acknowledge the downside as well as the upside, and that downside is fragmentation. I'm sorry that little comment left a somewhat sour note, and I'm glad to read about other collaborative efforts, but the personal nature of the response was a bit much.
Yes, Project 504 now has a contract with Hawthorne Area Community Council to do our work exclusively in Hawthorne, and we're excited about a true partnership. Yes, Project 504 is a member of Ventura Village, Inc., but I don't consider advocacy for tenants an agenda and I'm disappointed to see it called such. By the way, our "agenda" has been effective: as a result, we've been "investigated" by Ventura Village, banned from placing any item on a meeting agenda, and warned that any project that receives our support will not be considered for approval. As a result, folks in the community don't want to be near us or acknowledge that they work with us for fear that their development plans will not receive "neighborhood" support--it's painful to see. That's a downside, and it represents the fragmentation or "fiefdom" that Grow mentions. That is, a belief that the neighborhood NRP group IS the neighborhood and owns the neighborhood, to the detriment of those who disagree, particularly those who are considered outsiders (typically those who merely work in the neighborhood or live outside of the neighborhood, even if by only a few blocks). Now--before others pipe in--it is an example of fragmentation, but I'm not intending to say it is the norm. I mentioned fragmentation, and it occurs as well when low-income tenants and people of color are effectively excluded from the NRP groups, implicitly, explicitly, and often unintentionally. But I think anyone involved in NRP politics (and I've worked in many many neighborhoods in the city and presented to a number of NRP groups across the city) has to recognize this issue as one of the biggest obstacles NRP has yet to deal with effectively. Here's a challenge: look at NRP five years from now and see who has been displaced by NRP-funded projects. I'm not making a conclusion yet--just something to look forward to analyzing. Gosh, wasn't this about a stadium? Gregory Luce North Phillips Barbara Lickness wrote: > > Greg Luce said: > > "Although Grow understandably uses columnistic color > to make the point, I think it is a good point--the > fragmentation that results through the promotion of > NRP and its neighborhood system. It's the downside to > NRP, and I'd like to see more "city-wide" thinking > from neighborhood groups in the future. > > Barb Lickness says: > > "Just how many neighborhoods have either you or Doug > Grow been involved with to make a blanket statement > like this? > > So far Greg, I have seen you only in Ventura Village. > And might I add with your own agenda. VV is one of > four regions in one neighborhood in Minneapolis. I > have never seen Doug Grow. > > I also know that you received NRP money to do work in > Hawthorne. Does that make you a member of the fiefdom > you describe? > > I work with over 20 different neighborhoods in > Minneapolis. My neighborhoods cross their boundaries > everyday to address issues that pertain to more than > one neighborhood. > > Examples of that are: CSNAP (The group of neighborhood > people along the Nicollet Av. corridor from Lake to 62 > crosstown), The Lake Street Revival group, the Central > Av. group, the central neighborhood partnership, the > neighborhoods by the lakes that produced the "Clean > Water Cookbook", the neighborhoods that started the > "Blue Water Commission". There are more collaborative > efforts as well. > > The biggest collaborative effort was the one where all > the neighborhood folks joined forces to save the NRP. > > For all the projects that NRP funds paid for in the > "fiefdom", go to www.nrp.org for a virtual tour and > list. > > Barb Lickness > Whittier > > ===== > "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the >world. Indeed, > it's the only thing that ever has." -- Margaret Mead > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Send FREE Valentine eCards with Yahoo! Greetings! > http://greetings.yahoo.com > _______________________________________ > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: > http://e-democracy.org/mpls > > > _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
